1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an embedded-type handle assembly for locking a door to a stationary frame element of an electrical equipment housing and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional embedded-type handle assembly, when a handle is pulled out of a casing fixed to a door, a sliding plate is slidably driven by an operating-foot plate provided in a rear surface of an base-end portion of the handle, so that a pair of lock bars connected with the sliding plate through an interlocking mechanism constructed of cams and links are pulled toward the casing, whereby a latch element connected with a front end of each of the lock bars is disengaged from a socket member of a stationary frame element.
However, in the conventional handle assembly, since the sliding plate and the interlocking mechanism are mounted on the casing in only one specified arrangement, the lock bars are so specified as to be mounted either vertically or horizontally on the casing. Consequently, in order to fulfill a user's requirements, it is necessary to provide two kinds of the handle assemblies, one of which has its lock bars arranged horizontally, while the other of which has its lock bars arranged vertically. Since such conventional assemblies require corresponding two kinds of each metallic molds, costs for installation of metallic molds increase. In addition, a large inventory accumulation space is required for the conventional handle assembly.